Shoe form



Sept. 30, 1930. w. .1. DE wrr'r SHOE FORM Filed July 9, 1929 2 Sheets-She Sept 30, 1930. w. J. DE WlTT SHOE FORM Filed July 9, 1929 2 SheetsSneet Patented Sept. 30, 1930 men Stet-S PATENT OFFICE 3'. DE WITT, OF AUBURN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO SHOE FORM 00., INC., 7 OF AUBU I LN, NEXV YORK, A CORPORATION 0.? NEW'YORK SHOE Application filed July 9,

This invention relates to an improvement in a shoe form and more particularly to the heel thereof which comprises overlapping plies formed by the ends ofthe side walls.

a The insertion of a full form in a shoe is attended with the diiiiculty of fitting the heel into the heel of the shoe. One way of overcoming this dificulty is set forth in my prior Patent No. 1,632,95 l dated June 21, 1927,

- 1 wherein is disclosed a full form, the heel of which comprises overlapping parts unconnected from top to bottom. While a form so constructed can, of course, be easily inserted inthe shoe, it is open to the objection that 15 the heel does not constitute a firm support for the heel counter of the shoe and permits the counter to be collapsed from its desired shape in the handling of the shoe or under the crushing strain to which it might be subjected '20 in shipment.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a full form similar to that shown in my prior patent but difiering therefrom in that the heel of the form, while being easily ,2? insertible in the shoe, constitutes, after insertion, a firm support for the heel counter.

A further object of this invention is to provide a shoe form the heel of which comprises overlapping plies which plies interlock and .30 are so associated with each other that the heel supports the heel counter of the shoe against collapsing due to handling.

' Various embodiments of this invention might be made and for the purpose of indi- 35 eating the scope thereof a number of such em bodiments are described in the specification and shown in the accompanying drawings which form a part thereof and in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a shoe form constructed in accordance with one embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear View of the form shown in Be Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3 3 of 2; w i

Fig. in a sectional view taken along the line of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a rear view similar to Fig. 2 illus- 59 trating the flexibility of which the heel of the roan 1929. Serial No. 376,883.

form is capable in order to facilitate its insertion in a shoe;

Figs. 6 and 7, and 8 and 9 respectively, are views similar to Figs. land 2 of other embodiments of this invention;

' Figs; 10 and 11 are views in elevation, and

Fig. 12 is a section taken along the line 12-12 of Fig. 11 illustrating another embodiment of the invention; and

Figs. 13 and 1e and 15 and 16 are elevation views illustrating still other embodiments of the invention. 2

The shoe form 20 constructed in accordance with this invention comprises a toe portion 21, a pair of side walls 22, 23, the ends of which overlap to form the heel portion 24. Since these features are common to each of the various embodiments the same reference characters will be used throughout the drawings.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive the side wall 22 terminates in a flap 26 at the upper portion, which extends beyond the lower portion 27 terminating at substantially the mid line of the shoe. The side wall 23 terminates in a tab 28 at its lower portion, which extends beyond its upper portion 29 that terminates at substantially the mid line of the shoe. As is clearly shown in the various figures, thetab 26 of the wall 22 overlaps the portion 29 of the wall 23, and the tab 28 similarly overlaps the portion 27. Thus there is provided an interlock between the side walls 22, 23 at the heel portion 2a which interlock, however is yielding and permits the parts to shift relatively to each other as indicated in Fig. 5 which shows the heel portion collapsed so that the form may be easily inserted into a shoe.

In Figs. 6 and 7 the side wall 22 terminates at its upper portion in a pair of tabs 30, 31 separated by a notch 32, while its lower portion 33 terminates at substantially the mid line of the shoe. The side wall 23 terminates its lower portion in tab 34 while its upper portion 35 terminates at substantially the mid line of the shoe. The tabs 30 and 31 preferably lie on opposite sides of the portion 35, an arrangement rendered possible by the notch 32 which receives the edge of 100 the portion 35. The tab 34 is assembled with the portion 33 as shown in the drawings in such a manner as to complete the interlock between the ends of the side walls 22, 23. In the drawings the tab is shown outside the portion while the tab 31 is shown inside the portion 35 and the tab 34 inside the portion 33. The particular arrangement of these tabs to complete the interlocking of the side walls can be of course varied as the occasion requires.

Figs. 8 and 9 show another way of interlocking the ends of the side walls 22, 23. In this embodiment the side wall 22isprovided with upper and lower tabs 36, 37 separated by an intermediate portion 38 which terminates substantially at the mid line of the shoe. The side wall 33 is provided with a central tab 39, its upper and lower portions 40 and 41, respectively, terminating at substantially the mid line of the shoe. The ends of the side walls are interlocked to complete the heel 24 by placing the flaps 36, 37 at one side of the portions 40 and 41 and the tab 39 at the same side of the portion 38. In the illustrated embodiment the tabs are all outside the corresponding portions, but they could, if desired, be inserted inside such portions.

It will be noted that in each of the embodiments described thus far the heel 24 of the form can be collapsed at the bottom in order to permit the easy insertion of the form into the shoe. It will further be noted that after the form has been so inserted the heel portion will then resume its normal condition under pressure of the heel counter and that by reason of the interlocking construction the sides of the counter are suported firmly and prevented from collapse Beyond the minimum amount which substantially corresponds to the normal movement of the counter.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 10, 11 and 12 the side wall 22 is provided with three tabs 45, 46 and 47, separated by intermediate portions 48 and 49 which terminate at substantiall the center line of the shoe. The side wall 23 is provided with spaced tabs 50 and 51 and portions 52, 53 and 54 which terminate at substantially the center line of the shoe. The portion 52 is at the top above the tab 50; the portion 53 is intermediate the tabs 50 and 51; and the portion 54 is at the bottom below the tab 51. In the side wall 22 are provided adjacent to portion 48, the slots 55, 56 and adjacent the portion 49 the slot 57, 58. The tabs 50 and 51 terminate in rightangled flanges 59 and 60. The tabs 45, 46 am 47 of the wall 22 and the tabs 50 and 51 of the wall 23 serve to interlock the ends of the side walls and while the portions forming the bottom of the heel are free to collapse when the form is being inserted into the shoe the heel will resist any tendency of the heel counter to collapse. Moreover the engagement of the flanges 59 and with the slots 55 or 56 and 57 or 58 respectively forms a positive means to prevent expansion of the heel counter by pressure exerted within the form.

Figs. 13 and 14 illustrate an embodiment similar to that shown in Figs. 10, 11, and 12. The side wall 22 is provided with a centrally projecting tab which terminates in a rightangled flange 66, the portions 67, 63 above and below the tab 65 terminating atsubstantially the center line of the shoe. The side wall 23 is provided with upper and lower tabs 69 and 70 separated by an intermediate portion 71 which terminates substantially at the center line of the shoe. Parallel to the edge of the portion 71 there are formed in the wall 22 a plurality of slots 72, 73. The tabs 65, (39 and 70 overlie the corresponding portions 71, 67 and 63 respectively, and thus provide an interlock similar to that shown in the embodiment of Figs. 8 and 9. Thus in this embodiment also when the form is inserted into the shoe the lower portions of the heel are free to collapse in the manner previously described. After the form has been inserted it is expanded to its normal condition whereupon the flange 66 will enter one of the slots 72, 73 and lock the ends of the side walls together to prevent any undue expansion of the heel counter. This embodiment thus functions in the same manner as the embodiment of Figs. 10, 11 and 13.

The embodiment shown in Figs. 15 and 16 differs from those previously described in that in place of providing tabs on the ends of the side walls 22, 23 of the form at the heel 24, there is provided a fastener 7 5 of the well known type which comprises interlocking strips 76, 77, carried by the ends of the side walls and a movable key 78. \Vhen the fastener 75 is open as shown in Fig. 15, the lower parts of the heel are free to collapse and when closed as shown in Fig. 16, the heel forming ends of the side walls are firmly united so that the heel 24 supports the heel counter against collapsing and prevents its expansion by reason of pressure exerted within the form.

While a number of embodiments of this invention have been illustrated and described, these embodiments are not limitative but merely illustrative and it is apparent that other embodiments could be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A shoe form comprising side walls of resilient sheet material, and a heel constituted by the ends of the side walls and means for interlocking such ends.

A shoe form comprising side walls of re silient sheet material, and a heel constituted by the ends of the side walls the bottoms of said ends being relatively movable to facili- '1' iis lite

tate the insertion of the form into the heel of a shoe and interlocking means for securing the ends against collapse whereby the heel of the form supports the heel counter of the shoe.

3. A shoe form comprising side walls of resilient sheet material, and a heel constituted by the ends of the side walls the lower portions of said ends being relatively movable to facilitate the insertion of the form into the heel of a shoe and means for interlocking such ends whereby the heel of the form supports the heel counter of the shoe.

4. A shoe form comprising side walls of resilient sheet material, and a heel constituted by the ends of the side walls which overlap and are interlocked to support the heel counter of the shoe into which the form is inserted.

5. A shoe form comprising side walls of resilient sheet material, and a heel constituted by the ends of the side walls which ends have interlocking elements thereon whereby the heel supports the heel counter of the shoe into which the form is inserted.

6. A shoe form comprising side walls of resilientsheet material, and a heel constituted by the ends of the side walls which ends have tabs thereon, each tab coacting with a portion of the opposite wall to form overlapping plies whereby the heel supports the heel counter of the shoe into which the form is inserted.

7. A shoe form comprising side walls of resilient sheet material, and a heel constituted by the ends of the side walls which ends have tabs and adjacent portions terminating at approximately the mid line of the form, the tabs and portions coacting toform overlapping plies whereby the heel supports the heel counter of the shoe into which the form is inserted.

8. A shoe form comprising side walls of resilient sheet material, and a heel constituted by the ends of the side walls which ends have tabs and adjacent portions terminating at approximately the mid line of the form, the tabs and portions coacting to form overlapping plies which interlock the ends whereby the heel supports the heel counter of the shoe into which the form is inserted.

9. A shoe form comprising side walls of resilient sheet material, and a heel constituted by the ends of the side walls the end of each side wall including a tab and an adjacent portion which terminates at approximately the mid line of the form, the tab on each end overlapping the portion on the other end to interlock the ends of the side walls whereby the heel supports the heel counter of the shoe into which the form is inserted.

10. A shoe form comprising side walls of resilient material and a heel constituted by the ends of the side walls which ends overlap and are so associated that they terminate outside the interior of the form.

11. A shoe form comprising side walls of 

